Threshing-machine



PATENTBD FEB. 2, 1904.

B. B.. HOISINGTON. THRESHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 1a. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

1 l l 1 l 1 l l lli.

N. -.,.....m...w.,...,..........,... ,lvsv ,//1/

nifl/ffl# l lll,

auf

my mams Pnzns no. vnorcxumo., WASHINGTON, u c.

PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

yB. R. HOISINGTON. THRESHING MACHINE.' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'N0 MODEL.

wr, mums m vg co. mmamnc, mswmmoN, o c

No. 750,855. PATEN'I'ED FEB. 2, 1904. B. R. HOISINGTON.

THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1902.

Q7 ff noun nuo WASH No. 750,855. PATENTED( FEB. 2, 1904. I

B. R. HOISINGTON.

THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1902.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E alge' l'wf 042 y l Y jy 7115 Muff/nga I DMW l/ VW g MM UNTTEE STATES Patented February 2, 1904,

PATENT EETcE.

THRESHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 50,855, dated February 2, 1904.

Application iiled January 13, 1902. Serial No. 89,397. (No model.)

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN R. HoIsING- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in rIhreshing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to threShing-machines, and has for its object to provide certain ixnprovements therein with a view of securing greater etliciency both in the threshing and in the separating actions.

My aim is to increase the capacity of the machine and at the same time improve the quality of the work.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein like notations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In said drawings, Figures l and 2 are cornpleinental views, together making up a com plete vertical longitudinal central section through the entire machine. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the adjustable opening in the tailboard of the grain-shoe. Fig. 4; is a detail in plan, with some parts broken away, showing a portion of the grating interposed between the two cylinders. Fig. is a section on the line .f/ of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail in plan, showing one of the crank-action forks and a part of the crank-shaft detached. Fig. 7 is a view, partly in4 elevation and partly in section, showing one of the forks and the relation of the fork-tines to the guides and fenders coperating therewith. Fig. 8 is a detail in plan view, showing the over-hanging chain-rake and underlying agitator detached. Fig. 9 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the relation of the pneumatic elevator to the tailings-conveyer trough of the grain-shoe.

In a suitable frame or casing Z I mount two pairs of cooperating cylinders and concaves. The first or primary cylinder a and its concave a.' are spaced apart from the second cylinder and its concave U. Between the two cylinders is interposed a grating, shown as provided with a central section having bars c parallel with the cylinder-axes and having marginal sections provided with bars c', which extend outward on divergent lines from the central section or bars c. Otherwise stated, the two marginal sections of the grating have bars c, which extend inward toward each other from the side margins of the grating on convergent diagonal lines. This angular disposition of the bars e in respect to each other in the two marginal sections and in respect to the central section makes this grating act on the stock with a spreading action, as will later appear, and hence this grating may for convenience of distinction be called the spreadinggrate.7 This spreading' -grate extends from the delivery end of the grating of the iirst concave a to a junction with the upper end or head of the feed-table Z for the second cylinder. Said spreadinggrate is substantially horizontal at its receiving end and then rises on a curvilinear line with a long sweep, extending rearward to its junction with said feed-table Z for the second cylinder.

Inter-posed between the two cylinders are also located two sets of crank-action forks f andfz. The supporting-shaftsf, on which the forks f and f2 are mounted, receive rotary motion in any suitable way from some of the moving parts of the machine and at the proper speed for the action desired. dles are connected by links f3 to fixed parts of the main frame. The fork-tines work between suitable guide-bars fi of curvilinear form, properly shaped and located for the actions desired. The guide-barsf* are also provided with downwardly-extended flanges, or it might be sheet-iron strips f5, properly shaped to serve as fenders for preventing the fork-tines from engaging with the stock on their return strokes.

The primary set of forks1 7" are of the proper construction and proper location for coperation with the underlying spreading-grate c c, and the second set of forks f are of the proper construction and proper location for coperation with the primary set of forks and the feed-table Z for the second cylinder. In view The fork-han- Y IOO of the character of the spreading-grate 'as hereinbefore described the stock, under the cooperation of the primary forks f and the said grate, will be fed forward from the primary cylinder toward the second cylinder with a stripping and a spreading action. The motions of the two sets of forks f and f2 are so timed in respect to each other that when any given fork of the primary set f is in delivering position one of the forks of the second set f2 will be in receiving position, ready to take the stock from the primary fork and feed the same to the second cylinder under a continuation of the stripping action. The relations and the actions of the two sets of forks to each other and to their respective guides and fenders are all clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. In said view the dotted lines show in diagram the paths of the lower ends of the forks, from an inspection of which it will be seen that on their return strokes the forks travel above the lower margins of their fenders f5, and thus will not engage with the stock on their return strokes.

As will be further noted by reference to Fig. l, when one of the forward tedders stands in a delivery position it extends -approximately in line with the feed-table cl, and at that time practically forms a continuation thereof. Ihile the said fork or tedder f stands approximately in such position one of the rear forks or tedders f2 makes a working stroke or a portion thereof, under which movement its free end travels in the general direction of the face of the former-noted fork or tedder f; otherwise stated, under working strokes the free ends of the cranks or tedders f f2 move transversely or approximately at right angles to -each other and are so timed that the former carry the stock within reach of the latter and serve to support the stock while the said forks or tedders f2 carry the same onto the feedtable d.

Underneath the central section of the spreading-grate is located, as shown, a grate-cleaner, which is best seen in Figs. t and 5. Said grate-cleaner is made up of a series of toothed bars 02, extending lengthwise of the machine and made fast to a pair of supporting crossrods 03, the ends of which extend outward beyond the cleaner-bars c2 and work through perforations or passages in the underlying grate-supports cL as guides. The teeth of the cleaner-bars c2 project upward and work between the grate-bars c under a crosswise-reciprocating motion, thereby keeping clean the central section of the spreading-grate. Ihe grate-cleaner gets its motion indirectly from the underlying grain-pan L. The grain-pan L is suspended. from suitable hangers le.' and gets a motion lengthwise of the machine from a constantly-running' crank-shaft 7b2, having one or more pitmen 7a3 connected with the grain-pan.

A plate 05 is secured, as shown best in Fig.

5, to two of the toothed cleaner-bars c2 and is connected by links c6 with a bell-crank lever c7, pivoted to the main frame outside the casing. The bell-crank lever c7 is connected by short links 08 to a reciprocating rod c, one end of which moves through a suitable guide 01 and the other end of which is connected to one of the grain-pan hangers 7L. Hence under the reciprocating motion of the grain-pan the rods c will receive a reciprocating motion therewith lengthwise of the machine, and through the connections 05 to 08, inclusive, the gratecleaner will be reciprocated crosswise of the machine as desired for its cleaning action.

In case the marginal or diagonal grate-bars c should be extended inward on convergent lines until they should meet at the center of the spreading-grate then, of course, no gratecleaner would be required. Otherwise stated, it may be possible and desirable to dispense with the central section of the grate having the bars c parallel to the cylinder-axes, and in that event no cleaner would be needed. I prefer the construction shown, because with the central section having the bars c parallel with the cylinder-'axes I expect to secure a more uniform feed or delivery from the upper end of the spreading-grate. If the marginal sections with diagonal grate-bars were extended inward on convergent lines to a junction with each other at the center of the grate, the spreading action on the stock might cause too great an accumulation at the sides and leave too little stock to be delivered from the central portion of the grate at its junction with the feed-table Z for the second cylinder.

Directly to the rear of the second cylinder and its concave is located a straw-rake of thev customary grating and fish-back type, but differing from the customary straw-rake in important respects, which will later appear. This straw-rake is composed of a pair of sections and 7a2, connected together by a hinged joint k. The primary section is suspended from two sets of hangers The second or rearward section 752 is suspended at its inner end from the primary section through the hinged joint 7c and at its outer end is suspended from a pair of hangers The hangers k3, suspending the forward end of the first rake-section r, are connected by links c5 with the upper arms la of a rock-shaft la7, and the said arms JG are'connected by pitman-rods ts with cranks on the constantly running crankshaft f, hitherto noted as imparting motion to the main grainpan L. In view of the way in which the rake sections and k2 are connected, mounted, and driven, as described, it follows that said two rake-sections and if will reciprocate together, but will move in different non-parallel planes, and at all times a considerable drop will be afforded to the stock passing from'the lirst section Zt" to the second section k2. At this drop between the rake-sections It' and le? is located a fingered tosser or agitator n, the

IOO

IIO

shaft of which is journaled in the upper arms of' a rockern, the lower arms of which suspend the inner or lower end of an underlying grain-pan a2, the upper or outer end ofl which is suspended from a pair of hangers n3. The lower arms of the rocker a are connected by links. n* with the rearmost pair of the hangers U, which support the main grain pan L. These connections impart a rocking motion to the g'rain-pan n2, the rocker a', and the fingered agitator n. The agitator' n is also provided with a crank-arm a, connected by apitman n outside the casing to a crank-disk fnl, which receives rotary motion in any suitable way from movable part of the machine. Hence from the connections wir to al, inclusive, the agitator n will receive an up-and-down rocking or tossing motion in its bearings on the upper arms of' the rocker 7M, which in turn reciprocate the agitator lengthwise of' the outer rake-section N, as hitherto noted. In virtue of this peculiar compound motion of the agitator oz the same will have a shaking' and a propelling action on the stock, passing' f'rom the first to the second section of' the straw-rake. This is very effective for shaking out the g'rain from the straw at that point.

Below the first or primary rake section It" is a stationary grain-pan la, properly disposed to deliver the grain onto the delivery end of the main grain-pan L. To the rear end of the main grain-pan /t is hinged a chafer-board y), the rear end of' which is suspended from the second or outer rake-section 1? by hangers 2J.

Directly to the rear of' the second cylinder is located what l call a chain rake v'. This chain rake is of' the chain-and-slat endless-conveyer type and is properly mounted to overhang the first section it" of the .underlying straw-rake and is of a length to extend somewhat beyond the delivery end of' said strawrake section. This chain rake differs from the customary chain rake in the f'act that its slats /r do not have teeth for their entire length, but have teeth for one half of' their length and are without teeth for the other half of' their length. The toothed and untoothedportions of` adjacent slats are in staggered relation to each other, as best shown in Fig. 8. This af'- f'ords a stripping action on the stock. The chain rake is mounted on suitable supportingrollers fr?, with its chains engaging sprocketwheelsthereon in the customary way. One ofl the roller-shafts 'r2 receives motion from some movable part of the machine. At its delivery end the teeth of the chain rake o' work between stripping-fingers r", fixed to a guard-plate fr, secured to the main frame, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby preventing' any ofl the stock being' carried around to the top of' the rake.

Underneath the chaffer-board j) is located the grain-shoe s, which, with the exception hereinafter noted, is of' the customary construction and mounted in the customary way,

details of' which it is not thought necessary to note. Said shoe receives motion indirectly from the constantly-running crank-shaft if, hitherto noted as imparting reciprocating motions to the main grain-pan 72 the straw-rake It" if, &c. For this purpose the lower arm of the rocker a", receiving' motion from the crank-shaft 7a2, is connected by link s to the upper arm of the shoe-rocker s2. The shoe receives its blast ofl air from the f'an s3 through the case outlet or delivery spout si, and at this point the blast is subject to regulating-dampers for directing the same as desired. The thoroughly-cleaned grain delivered from the shoe s is received by the clean-grain conveyer s and directed ofi" to the weigher and bagger or other delivery. (Not shown.) The tailings from the shoe are dropped into the customary tailings-conveyer S7. 'The parts of the shoe so far described are all old. As an improvement, however, I provide a tail-board .ss with a blast-outlet 89 therethrough, which tail-board ss is adjustably secured to the delivery end ofl the shoe by slot-and-pin connections sl", and in virtue of' the construction of the tail-board and its adjustable connection to the shoe the blast-outlet 89 from the tail end of' the shoe may be varied in size as desired. Then to the rear of the intermediate sieve of' the shoe I provide a lip-sieve su, which eX- tends outward and is provided with an upturned flange S12, projecting through the opening' .so in the tail-board, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The lip-sieve su is properly formed to pass the grain and unthreshed heads therethrough into the tailingsconveyer s?, while at the same time it will hold cylinder-teeth, nuts, or other such foreign materials that would be injurious or destructive to the machine when the tailings come to be rethreshed. Being a lip-sieve, the passages will be kept open f'or the g'rain, and, nevertheless, the teeth and nuts will be held on the lip-sieve, and as the tail-board is provided with the opening s this escape f'or the blast will cause the same to carry olf the chan?, and the lip-sieve will be maintained Vconstantly clean, in proper condition to catch and hold the teeth and nuts. The upturned flange 812 prevents the teeth and nuts from being shaken ofil the shoe and out through the opening s.

The tailings from the shoe caught by the conveyer S7 are deliveredtherefrom to a pneumatic elevator, whereby the same are conducted to the front of the second cylinder, as shown in Figs. l and 2. This pneumatic elevator differs radically from the ordinary pneumatic elevator in the fact that the fan-case is not connected directly to the tailings conveyer, as has hitherto been done, but is provided with a receiving mouth or pocket which is open to the atmosphere outside of' the conveyer-trough, but is located in proper position to receive from the tailings-conveyer S7, as best shown in Fig. 9. The f'an t of the IOO IOS

pneumatic conveyer is located at the lower end of its trunk t2 and receives motion in any suitable way from some movable part of the machine. Inasmuch as the receiving mouth t of the pneumatic elevator is thus open to the atmosphere, as described, and is located in proper position to receive the tailings from the conveyer S7 under the action of gravity it follows that the tailings-conveyer and the grain-shoe are free from the suction of the pneumatic elevator. This is a radical improvement over all other pneumatic elevators hitherto in use, so far as known by me. The old type of` pneumatic elevators had the eye of the fan-case directly connected to the tailings-conveyer, and hence the suction from the elevator-fan would have a bad effect on the desired separating and cleaning action of the shoe.

My improvements enable a pneumatic elevator to be used to an advantage.

Respecting the threshing cylinders and concaves, it should be noted that both concaves have the customary front end eccentric adjustment. (Not deemed necessary to note by reference-letters.)v It should be noted, however, that the concave b', cooperating with the second cylinder b, rocks on a central pivot under the eccentric adjustment, as shown at 62 in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. This affords a compensating adjustment to said concave 6'; otherwise stated, when the forward end of the concave b is lowered to afford a freer feed of the stock to the cylinder I the rear or delivery end of the concave grating is raised, thereby affording a greater drop to the stock and increasing the efciency of the separating action at that point, somewhat in proportion to the increase of the feed. The grating of the concave also extends for a greater length than the customary concave and on a somewhat different curve.

The actions of the dierent groups'of mechanisms have been so fully stated in the detailed description that any extended summary of the general operation is not deemed necessary.

It must be obvious that this machine has large threshing and separating capacity. All the stock is threshed twice. It is hardly possible for any unthreshed stock to escape the second cylinder and concave. In its travel rearward of the first cylinder the stock is fed forward under a succession of stripping actions and a succession of agitating actions, and hence it follows that all the grain must be thoroughly separated out from the straw in its long course of travel through the machine.

It must be understood that the main features of the invention are capable of modifications and that the details of the construction may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover,

it must be obvious that some of the features are capable of use in a threshing-machine having a single cylinder and concave.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. rIhe combination with primary and secondary feed tables or supports extending in intersecting planes, of primary and secondary crank-acting forks working respectively over the said feed-tables, which primary forks when in delivery positions extend approximately in a line with the said secondary table, and which secondary forks make their working stroke in the general direction of said secondary table and while the said secondary forks are approximately alined with said secondary table, substantially as described.

2. The combination with two threshing cylinders and concaves, of a grate interposed between the two cylinders and having diverging marginal bars for spreading the stock, a feeddeck for the secondary cylinder receiving from said grate, and two sets of tedders or crankacting forks interposed between the two cylinders which two sets of tedders are so timed and mounted that the first support the stock while the second engage and move the stock approximately in the direction of said feeddeck, substantially as described.

3. In a threshing-machine, the combination with a straw-rack made up of two sections, mounted to move in different planes, of agitating-ngers located at the drop between said rake-sections, and means for imparting to said agitating-ingers a rocking or tossing motion in a vertical plane and an endwise-propelling movement lengthwise of said straw-rack, substantially as described.

4. In a threshing-machine, the combination with a straw-rack, made up of sections, offset vertically to afford a drop between them, of oscillating supports for said rack, a lingered agitator carried by certain of said oscillating supports and receiving therefrom endwise movements in the vicinity of said drop, and means independent of said rack and its supports for vibrating said fingered agitators vertically, and at a speed which is independent of the movements of said rack.

5. In a threshing-machine, the combination with the grain-shoe and its tailings-conveyer, of a pneumatic elevator for conducting the tailings from the shoe to the front of a thresh- IOO IIO

ing-cylinder, which pneumatic elevator is provided with a receiving-mouth external of said conveyer and open to the atmosphere, whereby said conveyer and said shoe are relieved or kept free from any suction thereon from the elevator-fan, substantially as described.

6. In a threshing-machine, a grain-shoe having a tail-board with blast-outlet and a lipsieve extending rearward of the main sieve which delivers to the tailings-conveyer for cooperation with the blast-outlet in said tailboard to pass the chaff and to catch and hold cylinder-teeth, nuts and other foreign material, substantially as described.

7. In a threshing-machine, the grain-shoe having the adjustable tail-board with blastoutlet variable by said adjustment, at will and provided with a lip-sieve extension rearward of the main sieve delivering' to the tailingsconveyer, and which lip-sieve extension is provided with an upturned guard-liange eX- tending outward through the blast-opening of the tail-board, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a threshingmachine, the combination with the threshing cylinder and concave, of a grating' receiving therefrom and a gratecleaner mounted to reciprocate underneath the grate and provided with teeth which Work in the openings between the grate-bars, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN R. HOISINGTON.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT. 

